Marrying My Ex-Wife's Mortal Enemy (GL) - Chapter 10

By the time Dou Huan walked out of the interview, it was already noon. Employees from Jingtian Jewelry were heading in the same direction—likely toward the cafeteria.

She had heard that Jingtian’s cafeteria was pretty good. Curious about what the food was like, she was about to follow the crowd when she looked up and saw Jing Yu coming down the corridor from the opposite direction.

Well, her height already made her hard to miss—but what really made her stand out was that nearly everyone was greeting her along the way.

There was no way Dou Huan wouldn’t notice her.

She hadn’t even joined Jingtian yet. If she got caught eating in the company cafeteria before officially being hired—especially by Jing Yu—that would be way too embarrassing.

Dou Huan quickly lifted her bag to shield her face and made a quiet retreat.

She hurried over to the elevators. A few people were already waiting, probably bored of cafeteria food and looking for something different.

About two minutes later, she get inside the elevator.

Dou Huan followed the others in. Just as she reached out to press the “close” button, someone outside held the doors open—Jiang Shan.

And then came Jing Yu.

Their eyes met for a split second, and Dou Huan instinctively turned around and shut her eyes.

Didn’t Jing Yu have her own private elevator?

Why was she squeezing in with the crowd now?

Dou Huan wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

Jing Yu paused slightly upon seeing her, but her expression quickly returned to neutral. Without acknowledging Dou Huan, she walked into the elevator like she was a complete stranger.

The employees automatically made space for her and greeted her with respect. “Good afternoon, President Jing.”

Jing Yu gave them a small nod in return.

When they reached the first floor, everyone filed out quickly, leaving only Dou Huan, Jing Yu, and Jiang Shan behind in the elevator.

Their shadows reflected on the metallic elevator wall. Dou Huan glanced at the reflection and accidentally met Jing Yu’s eyes. She offered an awkward smile.

“So, Miss Dou,” Jing Yu suddenly turned to her, eyeing her with a subtle curiosity. “What brings you to my company today?”

Dou Huan was dressed plainly today—just like any regular employee. She looked unremarkable at a glance, except that her pretty face still drew attention.

“Heh… heh…” Dou Huan gave a sheepish laugh and scratched her ear. “Well, I saw your job post yesterday. You were hiring designers, and since I majored in that, I thought I’d give the interview a shot.”

“Oh?”

Jing Yu raised a brow, as if remembering something. “Was that what you were trying to tell me yesterday? That you wanted me to pull some strings and get you hired?”

“No!” Dou Huan immediately denied it, though her expression faltered. “I mean, sure, Qi Yue did tell me to ask you for help—but someone as talented as me doesn’t need to go through the back door.”

By the time she finished, her confidence was back in full swing. She lifted her chin and looked straight at Jing Yu, proud and defiant, her spunkiness tinged with an innocent charm.

Jing Yu had always found Dou Huan to be unreasonable and overbearing. Most of their past interactions ended with furrowed brows and rising tempers.

But now… this awkward yet prideful side of her—it was oddly endearing.

Almost like she was pouting.

Jing Yu’s gaze lowered slightly. That lively, radiant face—arched brows, moonlit eyes, soft red lips like dewy rose petals—and those long lashes fluttering slowly, like little brushes sweeping gently across Jing Yu’s heart.

And then she remembered—she’d gotten divorced yesterday.

The elevator doors opened.

Jiang Shan hesitated, unsure whether to interrupt as the two women stared each other down.

But Jing Yu was the first to move. She looked away and smiled faintly. “If you’re really that talented, Miss Dou, then I’ll see you here again—three days from now.”

With that, she stepped out.

Dou Huan was still lost in that smile when the doors nearly closed again. She rushed out, heart pounding with a strange mix of frustration and disbelief.

Why did she smile like that?

Why was she suddenly so… nice?

That kind of smile—too warm, too attractive—it wasn’t fair at all.

She pressed a hand to her chest, scolding her naïve little heart. Jing Yu was totally playing dirty.

*****

Back home, she noticed someone moving things out of the house—Chu Li’s things.

Inside, Aunt Chen was busy packing up.

When she saw Dou Huan return, she greeted her cheerfully, “Welcome home, Madam.”

But the words had barely left her lips when she caught herself and gave herself a light slap. “Ah—Miss Dou, I mean.”

“Mm.”

Dou Huan went upstairs and happened to run into Chu Li coming out of the room, holding a photo frame.

It was their wedding photo.

They both froze, unsure what to say.

Chu Li spoke first. “I cleared the room for you. If I left anything behind, don’t throw it out—I’ll come pick it up.”

“Okay.”

Dou Huan turned away, unlocking her door. The moment it shut behind her, she couldn’t stop the image from flashing through her mind: the two of them in that photo, holding each other close.

She still remembered how happy she’d been taking that photo. But now, just thinking about it made her want to smash them all.

And Chu Li actually wanted to keep those photos?

That made her feel even worse.

She yanked the door open again and stepped out—just in time to hear Chu Li say to Aunt Chen downstairs, “Huanhuan’s used to you. Stay and take care of her. I’ll still cover your pay.”

Aunt Chen beamed. “Don’t worry, Second Miss. I’ll look after her well.”

Dou Huan hadn’t expected Chu Li to think about that.

Aunt Chen was genuinely kind—honest, cheerful and hardworking. Her cooking suited Dou Huan’s taste perfectly.

Back when they first got married, they went through several housekeepers in a week. None of them worked out—until Aunt Chen came along.

Later, when Dou Huan lost her parents and was abandoned by Chu Li, it was Aunt Chen who stayed, comforted her, and gave her warmth when no one else did.

Hearing that Chu Li wanted Aunt Chen to stay—that anger in her chest cooled a little.

“I’ll pay her salary,” Dou Huan said, facing Chu Li. They stood in silence for a moment. As she turned to go, she added quietly, “Thank you.”

Chu Li gave a soft smile. “You’re welcome.”

Then she quickly stepped outside. But her heart was full of regret.

If only she’d realized how much she cared about Dou Huan earlier. If only she’d cherished Dou Huan’s love before it was too late… maybe they could still be side by side, just like they were in that wedding photo.

But she’d made the wrong move from the start, and now every step had led her further off course.

She had broken Dou Huan’s heart—and only now was she starting to want to make things right.

Before getting into the car, Chu Li turned and glanced at the room that used to be theirs.

Dou Huan didn’t come out to see her off. Maybe she didn’t even want to see her again.

Facing the direction of the balcony, Chu Li murmured, “If only…”

If only I could start over—would you let me chase after you again?

She turned, got in the car, and told the driver, “Let’s go.”

Then she dialed Tong Yi’s number. It barely rang once before the call connected.

“A’Li!” came a cheerful, expectant voice.

That one word made Chu Li’s breath catch in her throat.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said firmly, “Tong Yi, I’m sorry. From now on, let’s not be friends anymore.”